Ch47 - Shanxia Village

The soldiers had a long march ahead of them. Jing Shao’s elite troops didn’t bring any equipment and heavy armour for besieging a town, and not all of them were cavalry. They also brought along pots and pans, bowls and utensils, and so on. They weren’t going fast, so Mu Hanzhang’s carriage didn’t hold them back. It followed Jing Shao’s horse unhurriedly the whole way. 

Ge Ruoyi just sat quietly at the front of the carriage and brought tea and poured water for the people inside when necessary. At wu hour, Jing Shao would slip inside the military advisor’s carriage to get some rest. The right protectorate general was very envious, and often stole the coachman position. This way, he could worm his way into becoming close to the military advisor’s beautiful maid. However, it was to no avail, as Ge Ruoyi would always respond to ten questions with just one sentence. The right protectorate general’s curiosity about the military advisor’s origins was always on his mind, but he wasn’t even able to get a word or two on it out of Ge Ruoyi.

“It’s the military advisor’s maid, of course she can keep secrets better than you can.” The left protectorate general patted the dispirited right protectorate general on the shoulder.

“Little Left, are you comforting me?” The right protectorate general shot a sideways glance at him.

“Naturally.” The left protectorate general expressionlessly turned and mounted his horse before continuing on his way. 

After more than ten days in this fashion, they arrived at the Dahang mountain range. The endless mountains blocked their way, and they would have to make a detour of more than 100 li. Jing Shao ordered them to set up camp for now, and they would continue the next day.

“The single line formation is weak in both attack and defense. Once we encounter the enemy, we’ll only be able to stand there and take a beating!” In the center tent, Zhao Meng pointed at the formation chart.

“But we can’t march quickly on a mountain road without a single line formation!” The right protectorate general pointed at the topographic map.

“What are they fighting over?” After supper, Jing Shao came in with the military advisor. Seeing the two men arguing until their faces were red and their necks bulged, he directed the question at the expressionless left protectorate general on the side, who was silently reading a book on the art of war.

“Responding to Wang Ye, they’re discussing how to get through the mountain road in the southwest,” the left protectorate general said.

Jing Shao was well aware that their journey was impeded by the Dahang mountain range they had come upon today. It was more time-consuming to climb the mountains than to make a detour because of all their weapons and horses. They had thus chosen to look for a detour, but there were hills everywhere in the southwest, and it was impossible to detour through them. They could only take the mountain road, but how they would do so was a major issue.

“Military advisor, tell us, what army doesn’t use a long line formation when taking a mountain road?” The right protectorate general dragged Mu Hanzhang over to look at the topographic map of the southwest on the table. Most of the mountain paths were narrow, and any other type of formation definitely wouldn’t work.

“I didn’t say that we can’t set up a line formation; it’s just that if the enemy ambushes us on the mountain path, we can only just stand there and take a beating since the line formation is weak in the center. That’s why I said we should send a group of troops ahead of time to clear the way!” Zhao Meng was afraid of being misunderstood, and quickly explained. 

Jing Shao frowned. His Wang Fei had only read scholarly and religious books since young, and naturally hadn’t read many books on military strategy or tactics. Jing Shao hadn’t brought him along in the hope that he would be able to help on the battlefield; he just didn’t want to be separated from him. Seeing that Mu Hanzhang had lowered his gaze and wasn’t saying anything, he was about to speak up to help, when he saw that lustrous and slender hand pick up a stick next to the simple sand table and draw a cross in the sand.

“Military advisor, what is this?” Zhao Meng looked uncomprehendingly at the cross which Mu Hanzhang had drawn.

Vfflcu atf wjgx, Alcu Vtjb’r fsfr revvfcis klvfcfv.

“This formation is called the rushing yoke,” Mu Hanzhang said slowly, pointing the stick at the four points of the cross. “The soldiers are split and placed in the four corners, and still march in a long line formation. The front, left and right all face forward, and you will have both offense and defense.” 

“Qbcvfgoei, kbcvfgoei jt!” Ktf gluta qgbafmabgjaf ufcfgji kjr raeccfv obg j wbwfca, atfc rtbeafv ibevis jii bo j revvfc.

Itjb Zfcu kjixfv jgbecv atf mgbrr obgwjalbc jcv ibbxfv ja la fzmlafvis obg j ibcu alwf. “Ktf wlilajgs jvnlrbg lr xcbkifvufjyif lcvffv, atlr Itjb lr oeii bo jvwlgjalbc!”

Mu Hanzhang just smiled and didn’t say anything. 

“I told you to read more before, but you pretended not to hear me.” Jing Shao also knew this rushing yoke formation, but there was no record of it in common books on the art of war. How did Jun Qing, who had never read military books, know it? He was shocked, but on the surface, looked as if it was to be expected. Jing Shao pulled his family’s military advisor to his side and said, “I’ll be leaving with the military advisor tomorrow to do something nearby. You lead the troops ahead first, and we’ll catch up in a few days.”

“What does Wang Ye need to do?” Zhao Meng looked at Jing Shao disapprovingly. It wasn’t a good thing for the commander in chief to leave an army halfway through a march.

“This matter is very important for the war in the southwest. All of you must keep a careful eye on everything in these few days. Make sure there isn’t any trouble.” Jing Shao faked a laugh. He obviously didn’t want to talk too much about it, and the few people who were present tactfully shut up.

Outside the tent, Mu Hanzhang asked suspiciously, “Where are we going tomorrow?” 

“To find secret treasure.” Jing Shao’s lips curled up and he smiled mysteriously.

Mu Hanzhang glanced at him before turning toward his own tent, and the Wang Ye conscientiously followed behind him.

“Why did you follow me in again?” Mu Hanzhang looked helplessly at the guy who was lying on his bed. After the military advisor’s tent was set up next to the imperial tent, Jing Shao hadn’t slept in the imperial tent since. He would sneak into the military advisor’s tent in the middle of the night at first, but now he would brazenly waltz in and refuse to leave.

“I’ll go back later,” said Jing Shao. Holding the hand of the man in front of him, he pulled Mu Hanzhang into his arms. “I really do have something to ask you.” 

Mu Hanzhang rolled his eyes. Who would hug the military advisor in his arms while discussing proper business?

Seeing his expression, Jing Shao couldn’t help but lean over and kiss him. “Have you read books on war? This rushing yoke formation can’t be found in the ‘Statutes of Dachen’.”

When Mu Hanzhang heard this question, the smile on his face faded slightly. “I read books on war when I was young.” When he was a child, he learned to read at an early age and had a good memory, so he often read some other books after completing his assignments. At that time, his father was often irritated and sighed incessantly when he saw how his son from his first wife was so arrogant and wilful as well as ignorant and incompetent, so Mu Hanzhang secretly learned some military techniques in the hope that his father would one day dislike his son from his first wife and think about him instead. It was only when he was older that he realized that illegitimate commoner sons couldn’t inherit noble titles at all. Even if he was ten or even twenty times better than Mu Lingbao, his father would still never treat them equally.

Jing Shao heard this, and only felt his heart ache incessantly – truly a diamond in the rough; was this not a great pity? 

“Actually, I saw you when I was a kid.” Feeling Jing Shao’s arms gradually tighten around him, Mu Hanzhang put his chin on his shoulder with a smile. At that time, the Emperor had put on plain clothes and gone to the North Marquis’s residence incognito to play chess with Mu Hanzhang’s father, and had brought the little third prince with him. Mu Hanzhang’s Mother had allowed only Mu Lingbao to play with Jing Shao. Mu Hanzhang had wanted to see what the prince looked like, but wasn’t allowed to go over; he could only hide behind some rocks and watch them play in the garden.

“Is that right? I don’t remember.” Jing Shao scratched his head. To him, these things had happened more than 20 years ago. How could he still remember them? He couldn’t help regretting it. He was curious about what Jun Qing had looked like as a child – he must have been pale and tender, with a pair of big, penetrating eyes as bright as pearls. “What did I do then?”

“You…” When Mu Hanzhang thought of that childhood event, he couldn’t help chuckling as he said, “You wanted Mu Lingbao to be a horse for you to ride. He wouldn’t do it, so you beat him up until he cried. When he was crying, you put a rose on his head and said that he was like a little girl who only knew how to cry, so wearing a flower would help him get married more quickly.”

“Hehehe…” When Jing Shao heard this, he couldn’t help but smile smugly. Unexpectedly, Jun Qing remembered this scene from when they were children so vividly. “It seems that you wanted me to be your husband ever since you were a child, and hurried over to take a good look.” 

Mu Hanzhang blushed at his words and got up to drive him back to the imperial tent. Jing Shao had to go back to the imperial tent first to bathe, and only after the candles were put out did he quietly grope his way back into the military advisor’s tent.

The next day, Jing Shao woke up the man in his arms early in the morning. Taking advantage of the first glimmer of light, he and his Wang Fei took Xiao Hei and galloped straight towards the mountains in the distance.

Mu Hanzhang looked helplessly at his Wang Ye, who was acting like an army deserter, and yawned as he leaned on his chest. “Where are we going?”

“To Shanxia village,” Jing Shao replied. 

Shanxia village was a village at the foot of the Dahang mountains. It was called a village when in fact, it could already be considered a small town. Because it was easy to walk around at the foot of the mountains, a town had sprung up here. People in the surrounding mountain villages often came down here to sell some rare game from the mountains and also to buy some things.

Today was an even number day of the month, and a market was currently going on, with one street being unusually noisy.

“Tiger fur, highest quality tiger fur! Brightly colored tigers from Ziyunmountain, the fur is top-notch!” There was a hunter peddling tiger fur on the street, which attracted many passers-by.

“You’re so skilled, you can actually kill tigers!” someone praised. 

“Naturally! When the tiger caught a rabbit and was running back to its cave, I shot an arrow into its eye…” The hunter bragged about his bravery, his spittle flying.

“The female tiger was going back to her nest with food. There were tiger cubs to feed. You have sinned!” When an old woman with a bamboo basket on her back heard this, she sighed and shook her head before she left.

Hearing these words, Mu Hanzhang couldn’t help but frown. “Young offspring, what a sin…”

Looking at the tiger skin in high spirits, Jing Shao heard the sigh of the person next to him. Knowing how compassionate Mu Hanzhang was, he said to the hunter, “Do you remember where the tiger cave is?” 

“I remember,” said the hunter, turning his eyes to Jing Shao, “but there’s no path – it’s all woods. No one can find it but me.”

Jing Shao took out a piece of silver. “Bring me the tiger cubs from the nest. This is the down payment. If you’re back here in two days, you’ll get ten times this silver.”

“No joke!” The hunter took the silver, overjoyed. “Don’t worry, gongzi. Leave it to me!”

“They’re just wild animals, what’s the point of sympathizing with them?” The butcher in the shop across the road snorted, raised his big knife, and “bangbang dangdang” chopped pork on a wooden block. 

Mu Hanzhang was glad in his heart when he saw what Jing Shao did. When he heard the butcher’s words, not only did he frown, he turned to the butcher and said, “If young cubs in a nest aren’t saved, they will definitely starve to death.”

“Hmph, if you pity animal young,” said the butcher, raising a slab of pork in his hand, “then when you eat this suckling pig meat, you will really shed tears ah!”

Jing Shao turned around at this and saw a robust man wearing only a dalian, with a piece of pork in one raised hand. He was immediately overjoyed and stepped forward quickly. “May I ask, strong fellow, is your surname Hao?”

This man was precisely the purpose of this trip. He was a descendant of a general of the previous dynasty, whom Jing Shao had only obtained as a fierce general by chance in the 20th year of the Hongzheng era, Hao Dadao! 

“You can’t even read such a big word ah!” The butcher smacked “guangguang” the big plaque at the pork vendor stall with his butcher’s knife.

Mu Hanzhang’s gaze followed the butcher’s knife and he read, “Hao Ji Butcher’s Shop”! Looking again, Jing Shao’s mouth began to twitch. He couldn’t help but muffle his laugh.

“I wanted you to chop up a piece of meat; are you going to just stand around talking and not work?!” Just then, a woman’s voice filled with anger sounded from within the house. Not long after, a sturdy, married woman came out with a pot of meat and threw it in front of Hao Dadao with a crash. “Cut that quickly. After that, chop all of this into minced meat; Old Man Li is waiting for it!”

“Ai.” The butcher, who had been incomparably irascible just then, merely answered in a low voice, then earnestly kept his head down as he chopped the pork.